Sums up the current status of rural education research, offers explanations for the present situation, and argues for two essential steps in developing a rural research and development agenda: adoption of overarching research paradigms to guide future inquiry and consensus concerning the substantive issues to be studied. (JHZ)

Describes a survey of 356 adult students enrolled in university-level courses at the Open Learning Institute which was conducted to assess the predictive validity of Tinto's theoretical model of student dropout. It was found that, overall, the Tinto model appears to be a useful framework for such investigations. (Author/LRW)

During one week in 1981, 648 telephone reference questions were analyzed at medium-sized public library. Subject-oriented question analysis revealed little relationship between subject of question, answer format, and complexity level; significant correlation appeared between answer format and level of complexity. Sample coding form and statistical…

Outlines the foundations of the qualitative and quantitative approaches to research and discusses the implications of these two completely different approaches in educational research. Points out they are not complementary as they are separate scientific paradigms.(MD)

The major goals of this two-semester seminar are to help first-year graduate students understand the links among perspective, theory, assumptions, problem formulation, methods, and findings in psychological research and to optimize their transition into the PhD program. The seminar is described and evaluated and suggestions for change are made.…

Discussed are the assumptions which underpin research studies of the effects of pupil, school, and local education authority characteristics on student achievement in Great Britain. The purpose is to clarify the necessary limitations on knowledge imposed by various research methods and to suggest how these might be improved. (RM)

This report is Volume 2 of the methodology report that provides information about the development, design, and conduct of the 9-month data collection of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). This volume begins with a brief overview of the ECLS-B, but focuses on the sample design, calculation of response rates, development…

Institutional accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental activity administered by the eight postsecondary accrediting institutions that are part of the six regional associations that serve colleges and universities in the United States. The author cites W. Edwards Deming's work on corporate quality improvement, and its applicability to…

This workshop was the first of two designed for the purpose of developing specific recommendations for a program of research on adolescent literacy. Together these workshops, jointly sponsored by government and private sector entities, will draw on the knowledge and experiences of researchers and practitioners who work with adolescents and their…

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of some proposed activities for developing creative thinking of English learners at the preparatory stage. The current study adopted the quasi- experimental design. Two groups of English learners were randomly chosen from one of Port- Said governmental preparatory schools. The experimental…

This report describes the methods and procedures used for the 1996 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:96). NPSAS:96, which surveyed over 830 postsecondary education institutions and over 34,000 students and parents, included important changes from previous NPSAS studies conducted in 1987, 1990, and 1993 in its sample design and data…

This report presents an investigation by the American College Testing Program (ACT) of an alternative design for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The proposed design greatly simplifies the data collection and analysis procedures needed to produce assessment results and has the potential to produce results that are more…

The federally supported Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) Program provides a minimum of $50,000 to local schools to engage in a comprehensive change process facilitated by the development and adoption of a comprehensive school reform plan, including technical assistance from an external model developer. This report summarizes the…

Pueblo communities want local research to be linked to community needs. To address this requirement, university research must shift from a set agenda that addresses personal or professional goals to a flexible design that moves toward a community-based goal. This can be achieved through collaboration with the Pueblo community. Key to developing…

This curriculum guide introduces students to the process of scientific research. Through the process of science research, middle school students practice techniques to randomize sampling, control for unwanted effects, and standardize methods so that they can be replicated. Data analysis is taught from a statistical perspective providing students…